


Doldrums

by xwlthoughts



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Major Character Injury, Sad Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-11
Updated: 2019-11-11
Packaged: 2021-01-27 14:48:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21393943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xwlthoughts/pseuds/xwlthoughts
Summary: Adora is injured during a Horde attack, and she and Catra are trapped under ground with no chance of reaching the surface in time.  At least her estranged lover is there to hold her hand.
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 22
Kudos: 221





	Doldrums

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! I've been writing this late at night, so please forgive me if there are any little mistakes. Please enjoy and give a kudos if you can.

The bleak, empty stretch of blackness before Catra stretched out like a void, and may as well be if it weren't for the feeling of warmth on the top of her thigh and lower abdomen. Her long, clawed fingers were entwined between the threads of hair of the woman resting over her lap. She drew them through, brushing the strands and massaging her scalp as she went. The action drew small grunts from below, and she twisted her head to push against the action affectionately. Although she could not see her appearance, the memory of her partner's straw blonde hair was embedded into the depths of her mind. She was beautiful, her Adora. This moment between them would be perfect if it were not for the one vital flaw.

Her childhood companion was bleeding to death in her arms, and the situation was hopeless.

The wet warmth of the crimson blood welling from Adora's stomach tainted Catra's uniform, and it would surely stain the dark skin underneath. It was funny, that her skirmishes with the Rebellion's foot soldiers finally led to her being victorious in battle, but of course She-Ra would be there to ruin it. She would always ruin it. Adora would always ruin it. She was stupid to think the blonde would not appear to protect the innocent bystanders of an underground civilian town, and during such a reckless attack no less. She was caught in the crossfire protecting a child, and before the Horde commander could issue an order to hold fire. She was only protecting a child, a child that Catra was about to murder for some stupid war. That was when the tunnel caved in.

It was just her luck.

Adora shifted in her place in the feline woman's lap, and her crooked tail twitched in delayed response. Her soft pants filled the emptiness of the static air around the pair, bringing Catra out from her thoughts. Her arms were stiff as she moved to caress her pale face, which was slick with cold, damp sweat. "Hey, Adora," she said to her teasingly, though her words held no bite behind them. It drew a delicate chuckle from her childhood friend, something that prompted a tickling warmth in her chest. "What are you thinking about?"

"Mm," Adora responded weakly, her hand enclosing itself around one of Catra's own. "Us. The two of us back in the Fright Zone." This brought a frown to her face, and her grip on the woman's clammy hand tightened, but she listened nonetheless. "I was remembering . . . We were on our way back from training. Kyle, Rogelio, and Lonnie were mad at us because we were goofing around so much. But we were just having so much fun, so--"

She paused because a rippling cough tore through her throat, shocking Catra out from her blissful fantasy. Her hand immediately went to her friend's back, rubbing in gentle and smooth circles in a futile attempt to make her feel better. After what seemed like hours, Adora seemed to settle down, and she did not hesitate to get back on track. "We were having so much fun, just because of each other. You let me play with your hair," she said in a rough voice, tangling her blunt fingers in Catra's rough textured hair, only to have her bring her own up to embrace it. "Shadow Weaver found us giggling in the locker room. She was really mad at both of us, but she took me by the hand and brought me to the Black Garnet room. She . . . she told me if I didn't take it seriously anymore, that she would stop taking care of me. That you would die. That everyone would leave me because I was useless. And I cried, but she only became more angry."

Her shoulders shook with faint sobs as she continued. "You found me afterwards, in the hallways outside the same room. You took me by the hands and told me everything was going to be okay. That we would be okay." Catra was quiet, and as soon as Adora stopped talking, the suffocating silence returned to push her into the floor. It felt like they were in the darkness for days, but there was no way for her to tell how long it really was.

"Catra," she spoke up again, jolting in her cold sweat. Her eyes shifted downwards, searching for any trace of the woman she loved. She just wanted to see her again before she left her, but even with her sharpened eyes, there was nothing but the bleak void glaring back. "Catra, they're coming for us soon, right? Glimmer and Bow. They'll find us, right?" Tears sprung from her blue and yellow eyes, betraying her as they slipped down the slope of her face. Before they rolled off her chin, she swiped them away with her one free hand, and pressed her nose against the straw blonde hair she loved so much.

"Yes," she lied quietly, a hint of a sob in her voice. Adora was definitely delirious now. It wouldn't be long, now. "Yes, they're on their way now. Sparkles and Heart Boy. You still need to properly introduce me to your brand new 'Best Friend Squad,' remember?"

"Yeah," Adora responded in a hollow voice. She couldn't tell for sure, but Catra could swear that she snuggled closer into her stomach, and her hand somehow found its place pressed against her cheek. "It's been so long since we slept next to each other like this. Tell me about your favorite memory from when we were kids, Catra."

"Well," she began with a rather painful huff, holding back the fresh tears behind her eyes. "I think I would have to go with after I clawed Octavia's eye out. When I told you, I thought you were gonna be pissed. But you insulted her to her face, and soon enough, I could swear she was chasing us around the whole Fright Zone. I think that was the scariest I've seen her, but it was totally worth it. I still can't believe you had the balls to do that in whipping distance. We hid in the beds, and we fell asleep even with the risk of her finding us and dragging us from our bed."

"Even now," Catra said with a choke, tears finally dripping down. "You're so brave, it's unfair. Adora, you do so much for everyone but you still think you're worth nothing, and I hate you for that. I hate you for thinking so little of yourself even though you're the one thing that kept me going when you were still in the Horde. I hate you because you still love me after all the fucked up things I've done. Because even if someone's far, far from redeeming themselves, you can still see the best piece of them, no matter how faint it can be."

"And I hate that after all these years, you keep making me fall in love with you. That's how you make me feel, Adora. That's my favorite memory. My favorite memory is when you loved me and I love you. Right, Adora?" Catra's ramblings came to an abrupt stop, and when she put a stop to her erratic breathing, she was met with an eerie silence.

"Adora?" There was no reply, and Catra could feel a heavy weight in her lap. There was no warmth, not anymore.

"Adora?"


End file.
